15 years ago, I was paying my dues as a kitchen designer, working 6 days a week at a very popular kitchen dealer in North Jersey. That place was a design mill – we had to crank out 3 appointments per day, everyday, with constant pressure to “close the deals.” It was an old-school mentality but it was effective in terms of bottom line for the boss.
I was in the middle of a particularly crazy week when I met a wonderful woman for her 7pm appointment. She came in with a folder and sat down at my desk with a huge smile on her face. Being in the midst of the madness my schedule was creating, I was a shell of myself, going through the motions of pleasantries and trying to get the ball rolling with her design. But she took her time. She opened the folder to reveal pictures she had cut out of magazines that inspired her for her dream kitchen.